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100 Years in the Making: Seton Hill

Annie Meyers, Lifestyle & Entertainment EditorFebruary 9, 2018

Photo by A.Meyers/Setonian.

When students returned to Seton Hill after winter break, the Centennial Timeline, a chart marking 100 years of Seton Hill University, was created for the Administration Building. The timeline was designed and donated by Barbara Kerestes-Martin, CEO of KMA Design and a SHU class of 1980 graduate, with the help of her son, the centennial planning committee built of alumni, students, faculty and staff, among others.

KMA Design is a Pittsburgh, Pa. based design firm run by Chief Executive Officer Kerestes-Martin. KMA specializes in graphic design, mainly working with architectural firms, building and construction companies, etc.

There was an error written in the description of Sister Mary Thecla Schmidt on the Centennial Timeline. She was described as the sixth president of Seton Hill University, when in fact she was the seventh. Photo by A.Meyers/Setonian.

Bill Black, the archivist of SHU, searched through a variety of photos to add to the timeline. “I think it’s essential for the Centennial, because what’s the point of celebrating 100 years if you don’t understand what’s gone on?” Black said. “So that gives us a line from Mother Lowe building Admin all the way up to what’s going on today.”

Black said it is a really good synopsis of SHU and what SHU has accomplished, with one tiny mistake. “If you look at Sister Thecla, it’s says seventh president, but then under it, it says sixth,” said Black.

With a variety of photo categories to go through, Black said, “you have to already know the history to know what you’re looking for.” When searching through the photos, Black would be asked for particular things by the centennial committee.

“They wanted a good photo of Athelia, and so I’d pull some photos together and send it to them and they’d select what they thought was the best. She was one of our two first graduates,” Black said.

Though there were an abundance of photos to choose from, not every photo was chosen. “I would’ve loved for it to be on both sides and be a lot more inclusive but practicality, you know,” Black said.

The bottom of the timeline also includes memorable events from history unrelated to SHU, by choice of the alum who donated the work.

There will be events taking place throughout the 2018 semesters to commemorate the centennial year, including a time capsule burial over alumni weekend, June 1, speakers throughout this semester and the fall semester and music performances down at the PAC of various types.

Looking back at the photos from the past 100 years, Black said the biggest change has been with the students. “Today, students are pretty much trusted to take care of themselves, our first college students note you couldn’t use your typewriters after like 9 p.m. Remember, there were no computers, you typed your papers,” said Black. “The sisters ran a tight ship; it wasn’t until the late ‘60s that they started to loosen up at all.”

“But yeah mostly it’s, I think the biggest change, the students. Which is of course reflective of society in general,” Black said.